Traditional Culture – Page 3

Ancient Gandhara: Greek Art and Buddhist Statuary

When the ancient devotees of the Buddha Shakyamuni first represented “the enlightened one” in visual form, it was to Greek art that they turned, brought by Alexander the Great to the northwestern corner of the Indian subcontinent. In the region known as Gandhara, a flourishing Buddhist culture adopted the naturalism of Greek sculpture but endowed…

Our English Cousin: William Shakespeare and the Shaping of America

Shakespeare. Bring up that name in conversation, and the reactions of your audience are likely to be mixed. To some of your listeners, that most famous name in all of English literature will likely arouse unpleasant memories of a dreary week or two in a high school class lost in a jumble of lords, ladies,…

Visby Cathedral: Gotland Island’s Merchant Church

Once a strategic point for European merchants due to its proximity to the Baltic Sea, the old medieval town of Visby is filled with beautiful architecture. On the Swedish island of Gotland, one building in particular stands out: the Visby Cathedral. Originally built as a church dedicated to St. Mary in the 12th century, it…

The Raggedy Boys’ Bard: Horatio Alger and the American Dream

For 50 years, his name was a household word. Horatio Alger Jr. (1832–1899) was the creator and chief proponent of the “rags to riches” story. Once his writing career took off, he put out over a hundred novels, most of them aimed at adolescents. They were tales of street urchins and poor young men who…

Modern-day life is stimulating, to say the least—and our fast-paced routines may be accompanied by stress, tension, anxiety, and mental exhaustion. For many people, maintaining good physical health in the midst of their busy lifestyles tops their list of intentions. Dr. Yang Jingduan, a well-known Chinese psychiatrist based in Philadelphia, launched a series of lectures…

Hector, Achilles, and Toxic Masculinity

In Homer’s “The Iliad,” the Trojan hero Hector and the Greek hero Achilles are destined for a showdown from the very beginning. The poem marches with unwavering steps toward this inevitable conclusion like the marching ranks of Trojan and Greek soldiers on the blazing plain before Troy. The coming duel between the greatest warriors on…

The First Creche: Arnolfo di Cambio’s Nativity

Nativity scenes reign supreme as the most charming image of Christmas. An assortment of figures from splendid kings to simple shepherds with a few animals—exotic or domestic—gather around a newborn child: What’s not to love? In Italy, families vie for the most elaborate arrangements, replete with running water and working lights. The unveiling of the…

Winter Wonder Lands: Some Poems for the Season

Drive south down I-95 in the new year, and you’ll join a fleet of cars with license plates from New York, Massachusetts, and Canada. These are the “snow birds,” off to exchange winter’s snow and frigid temperatures for the sunshine and balmy breezes of Miami and Key West. Drive north during this same season, and…

Poet Phyllis McGinley: Champion of Marriage, the Family, and Tradition

Phyllis McGinley (1905-1978) was a victim of cancel culture long before that idea existed. After she’d won the 1961 Pulitzer for her poetry—the first American poet ever to be so honored for light verse—W.D. Snodgrass, who was awarded the Pulitzer the previous year, commented that this “was horrifying; she used to write silly little verses…

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Tag: Traditional Culture